We all know that labor and childbirth are pretty unpredictable. But if you’re looking into a birth doula, you’re probably hoping to eliminate at least some of the unknowns.
One way to do that is a take a hospital tour, and see the labor and delivery unit where you are planning to have your baby.
At most hospitals in the DC metro area, these tours are conducted by a nurse, childbirth educator or another staff person who works with expectant parents regularly. The guides will be very familiar with hospital procedures, and it’s an excellent time to start to picture what your birth environment will look like.
Here are a few questions that can be helpful to ask, during your hospital tour.
1. Can I pre-register? What forms will I need to complete on the day of?
Many hospitals allow you to access these forms online, making things easier the day of your labor.
2. Where do I go to check in? What if it’s after hours? Where do we park?
Knowing where the front desk is, and if you need to go through emergency room after hours is important!
3. How many people can be in my birth room? Triage? My postpartum room?
Hospitals may limit these numbers to prevent overcrowding. Also find out about a waiting room- where it is, and if there are restrictions on hours.
4. Do your labor and delivery rooms have a tub* I can use?
This question applies to anything that you have your heart set on, as part of your birth plan. Ask about:
- a squat bar
- a rocking chair
- birth balls and peanut balls,
- a shower
- wireless monitoring
- nitrous oxide pain relief
Make sure that your birth place has the what you need for your birth plan and coping with labor.
5. Can I eat in labor?
This question comes up time and again, and we know why- going without food for your labor sounds tough! Your provider and hospital will have guidelines that can range from “only clear liquids” to being able to eat freely.
6. What should I expect to happen to my baby after birth?
Your hospital tour should show you not only the labor room, but the postpartum room. If you have preferences for your newborn’s care as a part of your birth plan, the tour guide should be able to answer them.
7. What are the procedures to have my placenta released to me?
This question applies if you are planning to encapsulate your placenta, or have another family tradition.
8. How long should I expect to stay after a birth? Is it different for a vaginal or cesarean birth? What if I want to leave sooner?
You can learn on your hospital tour how long a typical postpartum stay is.
9. Do you have a lactation consultant on staff? OR Will I need to bring my own formula?
This question depends on your infant feeding plans. Ask if there is an IBCLC, or other support for breastfeeding. Or, ask how they support exclusively pumping or formula feeding families.
Many times, these questions will be answered throughout the hospital tour. The OB tour guides know what information is important to patients that come in during pregnancy. But even if they aren’t, now you have a checklist. Who doesn’t love a checklist?
Already took your hospital tour and forgot to ask these, or another important question?
Ask your doula at DC Metro Maternity. We make it our business to keep up to date on the hospitals that we serve, and if we don’t know the answer, we know who to ask.
We have begun to answer questions about some of the hospitals where we commonly attend births on our blog here:
- Holy Cross Silver Spring
- Anne Arundel Medical Center
- George Washington University Hospital
- Medstar Washington Hospital Center
- Sibley Memorial Hospital
- INOVA Alexandria Hospital
- Virginia Hospital Center
Together, we’ll make sure you have the answers you need, before you head to the hospital to give birth.
Learn more about our labor support here, we want to be there through every step of the way.
